Donald Trump planning to spend £120m on Turnberry resort

TURNBERRY, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 19: A view from behind the green on the 457 yds, par 4, 10th hole on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, the venue for the 2009 Open Championship, on June 19, 2008 in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Turnberry Resort’s new owner Donald Trump says he is planning to spend around £120m to make the hotel the finest in Europe.

The American business tycoon made his first visit to the resort last week after his reported £35.7 million purchase from Leisurecorp late last month.

Trump’s jet touched down at Prestwick Airport on Tuesday 13 May before he headed down to his latest golf resort purchase.

Speaking at Turnberry for the first time he said the resort was “beautiful, really beautiful”.

And as he flew on his private jet to his Trump International Links in Aberdeenshire on Thursday, he revealed that he is going to invest massively in upgrading the hotel.

The 67 year old said: “We’re going to spend a tremendous amount of money - probably about 200 million US dollars - on bringing the hotel to the highest standards of luxury.

“I think it’ll be the finest hotel in Europe when it’s finished.”

When asked about the course itself, Trump said: “We’ll bring it to a level that it’s never been before.

“It’s going to be spectacular. It’s rated the number one course in the world and we’re going to be working with the Royal & Ancient on certain things that are going to be even more spectacular.

“Turnberry has been a great course for many years. With Turnberry, you don’t talk about a redesign, you talk about tweaking. You can’t do a redesign.

“I wouldn’t do anything without the absolute blessing of the R&A.”

His investment has been warmly welcomed by South Ayrshire council.

Maybole and North Carrick independent councillor Brian Connolly tabled a motion which was seconded by Girvan and South Carrick councillor Alec Clark which stated: “This council welcomes the purchase of the Turnberry Resort by Mr Donald Trump, welcomes his plan to invest in the structure of the complex and looks forward to a positive and constructive relationship with the new owner.”

Councillor Connolly speaking to the motion said: “This is a gentleman who now has an association with 17 top quality golf resorts.

“I believe he has learned from the mistakes he made in the North East and understands what golf means to us.

“He is massively well known in the US and he has raised the profile of South Ayrshire in one fell swoop and multiplied Carrick tourism efforts a hundred times times over.”